


Seeing Through You

by charliesummers



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Has PTSD, Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers (2012), Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Modern Bucky Barnes, Shrunkyclunks, Twilight References, dog content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:01:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charliesummers/pseuds/charliesummers
Summary: "Coming home to New York City wasn’t as much of a relief as Bucky thought it would be.In his mind, over the years he’d been away, he’d fantasised about it in his mind. He imagined what it would be like stepping off the plane, walking through the halls of JFK. The idyllic images of the city plastered along the walls to excite the tourists. Welcoming natives back home with their local landmarks. Hearing the twang of the accent from the TSA workers. Going back into the heart of the city and having a good slice of pizza, finally. Enjoying the honks of taxis, shouts of bodega owners, being blinded by the lights in Times Square.The reality of it, turns out to be a little different."After returning from fighting a war overseas, Bucky's life doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Until, that is, he meets a certain blond hero in a park one day, hidden behind a baseball cap and sunglasses.Modern!Bucky/Captain America!Steve.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 9
Kudos: 97





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my quarantine-fueled Stucky story, full of mistaken identities and Modern Bucky generally being out of his depth. This is going to be fairly light-hearted and fluffy (I think) but there will be discussions of PTSD from both Bucky and Steve down the line, also with the possibility of some smut. 
> 
> Updates should be pretty frequent but as always, kudos and comments will motivate me. Enjoy!

_23rd March 2013_  
From: aaron@prosthetics.starkindustries.com  
To: jamesbbarnes@gmail.com

_Subject: Re: StarkTech Prosthetics Program Application Status_

_Mr. Barnes,_

_Thank you for your application for the StarkTech Prosthetics Program. As you know, this is an experimental and ambitious initiative for our company, and we have been searching for volunteers. We have been inundated with applicants and we thank you for your interest._

_Unfortunately we are unable to offer you a place at this time. We will keep your information on our records for six months and you are able…_

Bucky stops reading after that line, he doesn’t need to know any more. 

He’s disappointed, of course he is. The offer was for a state of the art prosthetic to be built for him, for free, so that Stark Industries could branch out into that market. They’d advertised being able to move the limb just as you would a regular one, it sounded like something out of a sci-fi movie.

But it was Tony Stark, so what couldn’t the guy do?

Regardless, he hadn’t been chosen. He could stick with his piece of shit prosthetic for now, until he could save up enough to get something better, maybe even when Stark took his business public. 

Bucky put his phone back in his pocket, running his hand through his hair. The Brooklyn Bridge park was his current favourite place to come and walk Max when he had the time, usually on his days off. It was a little out of the way, but it was nicer than just taking him around the block. Max got pretty excited when they were out in big open spaces around people, he was a very sociable dog. A golden retriever who constantly looks like he’s smiling always draws in admirers asking to pet him, and Bucky knows Max loves it. 

He’s not really paying attention when Max starts tugging on the leash, he’s distracted by a group of friends playing frisbee. It’s not until he hears someone laughing that he turns and looks. 

Max is accosting some guy sat on a bench, paws up on his knees. The guy doesn’t look like he minds though, a book lying forgotten at his side as he grins and pets Max. 

“Oh, shit, I’m so sorry,” Bucky says immediately, tugging the leash gently. “Come on, Max. Stop jumping on the nice man.”

The man in question looks up at Bucky and smiles from under his baseball cap. “Aw, he’s not bothering me, are you, buddy?” He grins back down at the dog, ruffling his fur. “He’s gorgeous, did you say his name was Max?”

Bucky smiles and nods, relaxing a little. “Yeah, you got it. He’s a bit of a goofball, and I think he likes you.” 

The guy looks kinda familiar. Bucky can’t place him from anywhere, almost like maybe they went to elementary school together, or he’s seen him at an old job he used to have. But he can’t place it. He’s got clear blue eyes, a nice smile, he’s gorgeous. And Bucky’s intrigued by this sense of recognition he has, so he continues the conversation. 

“Whatcha reading there?” He nods towards the book. 

If he’s not mistaken, he sees the man’s cheeks colour just a little. 

“It’s Twilight,” he admits, a wry smile on his lips. “It’s a long story. I’ve never read it and my friends have compiled a list of popular culture media I’m supposed to read and watch. I’m working my way through it in my time off.”

“Oh yeah?” Bucky grins, finding that hilarious. “I gotta know, are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?”

The man’s eyes light up with amusement. “Team Edward. Vampires are cool, and they play baseball.”Bucky shakes his head with mock disapproval, tutting. “You just wait until the next book, werewolves all the way.”

Max doesn’t look like he’s going to move anytime soon, now resting his head on top of the man’s thighs and looking very comfortable. 

“Well, you know my dog’s name, maybe you should know mine too. Bucky Barnes,” he sticks his hand out to shake. 

Careful not to dislodge the dog, the handshake is returned. “Steve, it’s nice to meet you, Bucky.”

The name doesn’t help with where he knew him from. Steve is looking at him almost as if he was expecting some sort of recognition now he knew his name, but Bucky’s clueless. Was he some indie musician or something? Someone big in the New York scene? Bucky really wouldn’t know anything about that. 

“You too. God, I’m sorry about him,” he nods towards Max. 

“No, really, don’t apologise,” Steve says quickly. “I love dogs, and he’s a real sweetheart. Did you want to sit down?” He moves the book. 

Bucky hesitates, but he smiles. The guy’s hot, Max clearly adores him, how can he say no?

He sits down beside him on the bench, patting Max’s back. “Yeah, he’s real sweet. He’s a support dog, but he’s off duty at the moment, I make sure he has enough time to relax.”“Oh, I bet he’s great at that. He seems very caring.”“You don’t have a dog of your own, then?” Bucky asks. 

“Unfortunately not. My living situation isn’t the best for it right now,” he chuckles a little. 

“I get that. I had to petition to my landlord for weeks until he’d let me get Max, I guilted him into it eventually, and my friend at the VA wrote a fancy letter of recommendation.”

That causes Steve to look at him. “You’re a vet?”

Bucky nods. He doesn’t mind talking about it. He’s used to it by now, with all the various sessions he has. “Yeah, I was out in Afghanistan for a few years.”

“Thanks for your service,” Steve says solemnly, watching him. “I served too. Still do, to some extent, I guess.”

“Oh no, did they drag you into one of those government jobs? I avoided those. But damn did they try. It would have been easy, I already had all the security clearance.” 

Steve chuckles at that. He has a nice laugh. “Yeah, I got roped in unfortunately. It’s all classified missions, and a lot of dull debriefings.”

Bucky makes a face. “Sounds shitty. I’m working at a motorbike repair shop now, and I like it way more than the army. A whole lot more relaxing.”

“Not getting shot at all the time probably is, right?”

So this guy had a sense of humour, then. Good to know. 

Smiling in amusement, Bucky nods. “You’re not wrong, pal.”

There’s a moment of silence between them, but it’s not uncomfortable. Bucky sneaks a sideways glance out of the corner of his eye, to see Steve already watching him. Well. That gave him a good old case of the butterflies, something he hadn’t felt for a long time. 

“I guess I should be going,” Bucky says reluctantly, giving Max’s leash a gentle tug. The dog whines, nuzzling against Steve’s thigh. _Yeah, buddy, I know how you feel._

Bucky could be mistaken, but in the shadow under the brim of his baseball cap, Steve looks a little disappointed. So he takes a leap. 

“Hey, can I get your number?” He asks Steve as he stands up. “Because I’m gonna need to know your opinion on the whole vampire-werewolf feud as you read the books.”

And damn it, looks like he made the right call, because Steve’s eyes light up. Goddamn, he was an open book. Bucky could read every expression. It was refreshing, since he was so closed off himself. 

“Of course, yeah,” Steve scrambles to get his phone from his pocket, taking a second to open up a new contact and handing it to Bucky. Their hands brush, and fuck, he’s in a rom-com. 

Entering his number and saving himself as ‘Bucky :)’, he gives it back. “I come here on my days off to walk Max, so maybe I’ll see you around.”

Steve nods, stroking the dog one last time. “Maybe you will. Have a good day, Bucky.”

He turns and walks away, and Max’s eyes shift up to his owner. 

“Don’t look at me like that. I know how cute he is.”

Bucky doesn’t manage to get back to the park again in the next week, he’s kept pretty busy at work. On his day off, he has errands to run, and he’s got one of his group sessions. He’s actually been so busy he’s forgotten about Steve, so he frowns at his phone when he gets a text from an unknown number. 

_Hey, Bucky. It’s Steve, from the park. You said you wanted to know how I found Twilight after finishing reading it. I’m a little confused as to why my friends recommended it, but I have to admit I’m hooked. Picking up the next one from the store today._

Bucky grins down at his phone, unable to stop himself. Steve is just so damn cute, talking about Twilight of all things. Kinda hilarious. 

“Who’s got you looking so happy?” Sam appears out of nowhere, a cup of coffee in hand that he gives to Bucky, eyebrows raised inquisitively. 

Sipping the too hot coffee, Bucky shakes his head. “Just some guy I met.”

“You met a guy, and you didn’t tell me? This is betrayal, it really is.”

“Knock if off, you dramatic bitch,” Bucky laughs. “I met him while I was walking Max last week, and he just texted me. It’s barely even a thing, it’s not like I’m keeping anything from you.”

“You’d better not. I wanna hear all about this. Are you gonna take him on a date?”

“I don’t know, maybe? I think he’s interested, but I don’t wanna come on too eager.”

Sam fixes him with a look. “Oh, sorry, do you have a line out the door? Guys begging to go on dates with you? Didn’t think so, so ask this guy out!”

Bucky chuckles at that, shoving his shoulder gently. “You’re a dick. Thanks for the advice.”

Sam meanders off to go and chat to people like the good person he was, while Bucky considers what to reply. Does he play it cool? He can’t ask him out just like that. Try spark up a conversation, see how they get along. 

Jesus, Bucky feels like he’s back in high school trying to get Cindy Myers the cheerleader to look his way. 

_Hi, Steve. Don’t worry, I remember you. Glad you liked the book, it truly is a classic among teenage girls. Just wait until you see the movies. What are you up to today?_

Bucky’s proud of himself as he steps into group therapy.

Baby steps.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A call from a friend, and a very wholesome first date.

Over the course of the next week or so, Bucky and Steve text every day. 

It’s nice, actually, for Bucky to have someone to talk to. Steve was kind, he was patient, interested in what Bucky had to say. Not to mention he was a vet as well, so Bucky could make the odd joke about horrific nightmares and he’d actually find it funny. 

Bucky had suggested they meet up for a coffee or a drink, but it turns out Steve’s away with work, out of the country. Bucky had assumed he worked for some government agency, so it didn’t bother him too much, he just told Steve to be careful. They still talked when they could, and Bucky enjoyed the easy friendship they had going on. They’d not discussed anything too serious yet, just getting to know one another. 

That’s why it’s a surprise when his phone rings, and he sees Steve’s number. They haven’t called each other yet, it’s just been texting. But if he wants to move things forward, Bucky won’t complain. 

He’s just tipping food into Max’s bowl when he answers, the phone cradled between his ear and his shoulder. “Hey, Steve. You alright?”

“Bucky?” 

That wasn’t Steve. That was definitely a woman’s voice on the other end of the phone, and he slowly straightens up. 

“Yeah. Who’s this?” He asks, voice guarded. 

“What’s your relationship with Steve Rogers?”

“I don’t really think that’s any of your business. Where’s Steve? Why do you have his phone?”

“He’s fine, don’t worry,” the woman replies, and predictably, that doesn’t ease any of Bucky’s worries. “You’re the only person he’s been in contact with. Who are you to him?”“Well why don’t you ask him that, I’m not telling you shit,” Bucky snaps. “How do I know Steve isn’t in danger?”

“He’s not. Thank you, Mr. Barnes. We just needed to keep you on the phone long enough to retrieve your information.” And she hung up. 

Bucky stares at his phone, utterly confused. His heart was beating like he was back in the middle of a mission, because that’s what it had felt like. Like he was being interrogated. And who the hell was that woman?

And now he was worried about Steve, why did some random woman have his phone? Should he try calling him back? He’s in an awkward position because while they’re getting closer, it’s not like they’re official. Would he be overstepping? But he’s anxious, he can’t just ignore it. After agonising for a few moments with himself, Bucky fires off a quick text, trying to calm down. 

_Just got a weird call from someone on your phone, can you call me back when you get this? Just checking you’re alright._

Bucky sets his phone aside, staring at it. That doesn’t do anything, it doesn’t start miraculously ringing just because he wished it would. So he tries to distract himself. He cleans his apartment, makes sure all the takeout containers are in the trash, even wipes down his kitchen. Maybe if he keeps busy enough he’ll stop worrying about Steve. It doesn’t work. 

Finally, a few hours later, his phone rings. He’s dozing off on his couch with Max lying on him, and the noise jolts him out of his nap. Max starts barking, and Bucky scrambles up to grab his phone from the kitchen counter. 

“Hello? Steve?” He answers. 

“Yeah, hi Buck,” Steve’s reply comes, and Bucky’s shoulders deflate with relief. 

“Thank god,” he breathes. “What the hell was all that about? Got a woman calling me off your phone interrogating me on what our relationship is? I thought something had happened to you.”There’s a couple of seconds of silence before Steve speaks. “Yeah, I’m so sorry about that,” he says. “It was my friend, she wanted to run a background check on you.”

“She… what?”

“Run a background check on you. In our job, we have to be wary of people. I didn’t know she was just gonna call you out of the blue, or I wouldn’t have let her do that. I’m so sorry she worried you.”

Bucky is so stunned, he lets out an incredulous laugh. “So that wasn’t someone holding you hostage who was then about to come and kill me right after?”

He can hear the smile in Steve’s voice. “No, not quite. I’m sorry I scared you, can I make it up to you when I come home? We’re due to fly back Friday. Maybe we can go out for that drink?”

Bucky leaves him hanging for a moment, just to pretend like he’s considering it. “Yeah, alright. But you’re buying the first round, just to apologise for the heart attack you almost gave me.”

“I’ll be buying more than the first round, don’t sweat it,” Steve says. “I gotta go, but I’ll see you Friday? I’ll text you the details.”

It feels kinda nice, having a guy being so forward about taking him out. “Alright. Hope the rest of the job goes well. See you soon.”

Friday rolls around quicker than Bucky expects, and their date is scheduled for seven thirty. Steve picked the place, a bar in Brooklyn called the Maison Premiere. Bucky had never been, he tended to favour much seedier dives, but Steve had assured him that it was a nice place. 

Bucky had been mulling over what to wear, he’d looked up the bar on Instagram to try and determine the vibe, deciding he would need to dress a little nicer than usual. He wanted to impress Steve anyway, and look good. He chooses a grey sweater underneath a pale blue denim jacket, and some black skinny jeans. Pairing that with some lace up boots, he thinks he looks good. He’ll pull on his black leather gloves to complete the outfit, and conceal his hand. He ties half his hair back off his face, the remainder left hanging loose. It makes him look a little more on the presentable side rather than scruffy. 

He sees Max giving him a look as he fiddles with his hair, and debates on shaving. “Stubble or no stubble, bud?”

A tilt of Max’s head, and Bucky nods. “You’re right, keep the stubble. Makes me look cool, and I have too much of a baby face when I shave.”

He leaves Max some food in his bowl, and puts one of those ambient fireplaces on the TV for him. Max likes to sit by it, and Bucky knows it makes him happy. He takes the L train over to Bedford Ave, making sure he’s relatively early. He has the feeling Steve might be the same. 

True enough, Steve’s looking down at his phone, standing outside the door of the bar. Bucky manages to end up right next to him before Steve notices. “Hey,” Bucky grins, hands in his pockets. “You look nice.”

Steve looks… more than nice. He’s effortlessly handsome, looking like he’s just stepped off the set of a goddamn fragrance commercial. His blonde hair is perfectly windswept, coiffed off his forehead. He’s not the type Bucky would usually go for, he looks far too clean cut in his pressed pants and plaid button up. But something about him’s just real cute. 

“Thanks,” Steve smiles wide, his eyes lighting up. Holy hell, he’s pretty. “So do you. You wanna go in?”

There’s a nice kind of awkwardness to it, that Bucky actually enjoys. They aren’t at that level of comfort yet to joke around, they’re still trying to be polite. They don’t know one another well enough, and they have butterflies in their chests. There’s excitement, and they share smiles at each other as Steve leads Bucky through the bar and out the back into a little garden, surrounded by greenery to make every table private. A small candle glows on the table. How romantic. 

“This place is gorgeous,” Bucky looks around once they’re seated, admiring the flora and fauna. “How’d you find out about it?”

“A friend from work brought me here a while back,” Steve explains. “It’s not somewhere I’d ever choose myself, but it’s got a charm to it. The friend has a fondness for New Orleans, and that’s the theme here.”

“I’ve never been, have you?” 

“Nope,” Steve laughs, and Bucky finds it infectious. 

They look at the cocktail menu for a moment, and Bucky clears his throat. “You, uh, think they do beer here?”

Steve smiles across at him and nods. “I’ll work something out for you, I’ll go get the first round,” he puts a hand briefly on Bucky’s arm before standing up and heading back in to get them some drinks. 

Bucky is so in for it, Steve is incredibly charming. He tries to relax as he waits for the other to return with their drinks, breathing steadily as he makes sure he doesn’t get too nervous about this whole thing. It’s just a date. No pressure with anything. And it’s safe, he’s already zeroed in on all the exits in the place, and which would be best for what sort of scenario. That always reassures him in a new environment. 

Steve comes back with - thankfully - two beers, and Bucky takes a drink of his. “Thanks,” he nods. “So, you came back from the mission today. How was it? I don’t need any details, don’t worry. I’ll assume it’s classified.”Steve smiles gratefully. “It was alright. Pretty quiet, compared to things I’m used to. There was only a couple of us out there.”

“Ah, the woman who had your phone?”

He groans, rubbing a hand over his face. “My friend, Nat. She’s… protective. She wanted a background check on you, and to see if you’d get scared away by the whole act. She says I can’t be wasting time on someone easily scared.”

Bucky laughs at that, shaking his head. “I’m definitely not easily scared, not after everything I’ve seen. I mean, serving abroad does that to you, right?”

Steve’s lips press together. “It does. How long have you been home?”

“Must be… coming up on a year now. Still feels like yesterday every time I close my eyes, though.”

“Yeah, it does. I understand that.” Steve shook his head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up the war chat so early on. It’s just nice to talk to someone about it.”

“I know what you mean. Have you ever been to any VA meetings? Therapy?”

“I’ve been to a few but,” he stops to think. “My problems weren’t really the focus, I was volunteering. I don’t have time for therapy.”

Bucky raised his eyebrows. “Don’t have time? If I’ve learned anything from said therapy, it’s that you gotta look after your mental health.”

“I know, I know. I have to get better at that,” he agreed. “But hey, I’m taking time for myself right now, I’m here with you.”

“Yeah, you are,” he smiled over the top of his beer bottle. “And I’m feeling damn lucky about that.”

Two and a half beers down, and Bucky has a bit of a buzz. They’re getting on like a house on fire, Steve is funny, caring, kind. He’s making Bucky feel things he hasn’t in a long time. He doesn’t seem to be affected by the beers quite as much as Bucky, but he doesn’t seem to mind. 

“And then, to top it all off, right before I met you, I got rejected for the Stark Industries Prosthetics Program!” Bucky exclaims, shaking his head. “So meeting you literally improved my day so much.”

Steve inclines his head at that. “Prosthetics?”

Bucky hesitates, scrunching up his nose a little. “Ah, shit. I didn’t mean to mention that, I’m sorry. I don’t wanna make you feel awkward.”

“No, no!” Steve says immediately. “You’re not making me feel awkward, I’d rather you be honest with me, I want you to be comfortable. I appreciate you telling me, and I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to talk about it more with me.”

He’s quiet for a moment, before he smiles shyly. “I lost my arm just before I came back from overseas. I was on a mission, a bomb went off, I was lucky I wasn’t killed.” He pulls the leather glove off his left hand, showing the prosthetic. “This is just the basic one they fitted me with. That’s why I applied for the Stark Industries thing, because in the pamphlet they were advertising really high tech stuff, that you could actually move like a real arm.” He puts the glove back on and sighs. “It was a pipe dream. I know they couldn’t have picked every applicant, I’ll have to wait until they’re more mainstream and I can save up enough cash.”

Bucky goes quiet, and Steve looks thoughtful in response. “I want to suggest something, but I don’t want it to sound too forward.”

Intriguing. “Go on.”

“I know Tony Stark,” he says. “In a professional capacity, we work together sometimes. I could put in a good word for you, see if they can fit you in on that scheme?”

“You’d do that for me?” Bucky’s eyes widen, he’s flattered.

“Of course. You deserve something good, after everything.”

“I think I might have just found it.” 

They’re looking at each other, and Bucky can see a softness in his eyes. They’re not sitting across from each other at the table, they’re closer than that, and Bucky drifts closer to him. But it’s Steve that initiates, leaning in and kissing Bucky gently. His hand rests on Bucky’s cheek, thumb caressing his skin. It’s brief and sweet, but it’s just what he needs. 

When they part, Bucky’s eyes drift up to his. “I’ve wanted to do that all night, you beat me to it.”

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Steve murmured, brushing a lock of Bucky’s hair back from his face. 

“Really? You don’t look all that sorry.”

Their lighthearted teasing continued as the night wound up and they left the bar, Steve insisting on taking Bucky home. He claimed he wanted to make sure he got home safe, but he would be the perfect gentleman. Bucky believed him and didn’t plan on asking him up for a nightcap. 

“So how do you know Tony Stark?” Bucky asks as they walk hand in hand down the street. “Oh, just work, like I said.”“Lemme get this straight. You work for a government agency that sends you out on field missions abroad, but also with Stark? Isn’t he flying around fighting aliens at the moment or something?”

Steve’s hand stiffens in his just a little, but Bucky barely notices. “Oh, yeah. Sometimes. What do you know about that?”

He shrugs. “Not much. We were told about the Battle of New York when it happened, but there wasn’t much intel. We had more important things to worry about, and I never looked into it when I got back.”

“It’s not that interesting. Our paths cross occasionally, that’s all.”

They got to Bucky’s building before he could say any more, and he pulled his hand away. “Well,” Bucky smiles at him. “I’ve had a really good night. I hope you wanna do this again sometime.”

Steve laughs gently. “Definitely. May I kiss you?”

“Hey, I’m getting in there first this time,” Bucky murmurs, and kisses him before he has the chance to respond. 

It’s more passionate than the one at the bar, the two of them half in shadows under the street light. Bucky’s hand holds the side of Steve’s neck, pressing close to him, while Steve’s rest on his lower back. Bucky slips him a little tongue before they part, out of breath. 

“Well. I’ll see you around, Steve.”

Bucky pecks him on the lips once more, before he heads back into his building, a grin on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed their very cute first date. There'll be some angst coming soon, because I can never stay away from the drama.


End file.
